LAKELAND, Fla.— After a roller coaster start in their first ten Sun Conference matchups of the season, the Fire will seek their third conference victory in their last four attempts when they take on the Gyrenes of Ave Maria Saturday night.
Southeastern, who currently holds fourth place in the conference with a 14-8 (7-6 TSC) record, is coming off its 71-59 victory over Johnson & Wales in the Furnace on Saturday, fueled by 18 points each from
Josiah Barsh and
Ryan Atkins.
Barsh, Atkins and senior point guard
CJ Reese have been at the core of team success over the recent stretch. All three players are averaging over 18 points per game in their last four competitions and have registered at least one 28-point game over the run.
In a huge win against Webber, Barsh scored a career-high 32 points and shot lights out from beyond the arc, connecting on each of his seven three-point attempts. The junior from Tacoma, Washington has caught fire from long distance over the last four games, going a combined 12-19 from downtown.
Seniors Reese and Atkins have averaged 20 points in their last four. Reese also contributes to the 20
th-best scoring offense in the NAIA by adding five assists per game (24
th in the nation). Atkins, the leading scorer in the Sun Conference, collects 23.5 points per game (seventh in the country).
The Fire's prolific offense faces an Ave Maria team that has picked up only a single win in conference play. The Gyrenes, who sit at 3-21 overall, have been on three separate losing streaks of at least five games during the year.
Ave Maria scores 67.8 points per game, but its offensive production is fairly spread out. Four Gyrenes average double-digit scoring efforts, led by Gianpaolo Riccio, who has averaged 19.0 points in the ten competitions he has played.
???????Greenan Sullivan is another key component to the Ave Maria team. The guard averages 11.6 points while also leading the Gyrenes in total assists (73) and total steals (31).
Tip off is set for 7 p.m. in the Furnace.
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